News stories focused on support for same-sex marriage outnumbered those opposing it by roughly 5-to-1 in the two months marked by Supreme Court deliberations on the issue, according to the latest study in Pew Research’s LGBT in Changing Times series. Did statements of support vary by media sector? Did reactions on Twitter differ from the news media? How was the topic covered in LGBT outlets? The new study offers answers.
For the second time in a month, the issue of gay rights drew intense interest from the blogosphere. The Chilean earthquake finished a close second while news about Google was the lead topic on Twitter. And on YouTube, four of the five top videos were about an animal trainer drowned by a killer whale at SeaWorld in Orlando.
As 2008 drew to a close, the media’s attention was more divided than any point all year. The economy and Obama’s transition were still top stories. But two scandals and the U.S. auto industry also competed for coverage.
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